Community Tasting Note
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Roman Empire Likes this wine: 92 points
January 25, 2024 - Tasting Note 5 of #50in2024
Full Disclosure: I have been enjoying AO wines since the 2008 vintage (they started in 2006) and I visit AO in napa at least 1-2 times per year. The atmosphere is great, the people are wonderful and their wines are great across the board. Their single-vineyard Cabs are some of my favorites. This prop. red is a blend with cabernet across several of those vineyards (70%) and cab franc, merlot and petit verdot.
Now to keep things balanced, I will admit that the price of their wines (especially single vineyard, AO ERA and the like) have gotten very high. When I bought my first bottle of AO Prop Red I recall it was approximately $50. Current release is more than double that at $129.
OK, Enough of that stuff - lets taste this wine.
2014 was a solid vintage in Napa, not the best, but solid so I have high expectations.
In the glass, the wine is quite dark but still retaining some red ruby color...I thought I would see some discoloration around the rim after ~10 years. But not the case, it looks younger than it is. With a swirl, the legs cling to the glass firmly and are very slow to fall. The 15.5% alcohol shows.
The aromas are big and hits me well before my nose is in the glass. While I normally sense fruit aroma first, here I am struck by some floral aromas. The AO tasting notes say violets, lets go with that. Beyond that there is the classic dark cherry fruit aromas, and fairly bright too! I also get some spices from mostly new French oak aging for 20 months. While the tasting notes say paprika...I can't get there. But I can get to cinnamon perhaps which I have never written before! I give this a 9-10 for its nose. I have probably smelled it 10 times and haven't tasted it yet. It could second as nice cologne and its cheaper that many colognes! shut up and drink it already you say....
Wow, medium level acid apparent right at the start, with fruit as fast follower. Medium+ tannins provides for a nice finish. No surprises really in the taste, real nice reinforcement of the pre-sip aromas. Perhaps one exception, some vegetal tastes (from cab franc at 17%). Very pleasing. The high alcohol is not a major force in the taste. While there, I think its fading with age and honestly I think this could age longer for sure.
In the end, I'm most impressed with the nose and the tannins in the finish. Wonderful, somewhat mellow/balance taste a real treat.
Being honest, for $129 in current release this could stand up to some napa valley 100% cabs that cost more. Extremely pleased.
I'll be visiting AO again in May and I'm guessing AO prop red will be purchased.769 views